In order to provide camouflage against discovery, it is known to arrange material in the form of coverings, tarpaulins or foils, that is, web material, to cover the objects one wishes to camouflage. There are several possibilities of discovery against which one wishes to camouflage: By viewing with either diffuse or reflected visible light, by being revealed by reflections of radiation transmitted for reconnaisance purposes (for example laser light or radar waves) as well as by detection of the difference in infrared radiation from the objects in question and from their surroundings. Especially in the latter respect it has been difficult to achieve effective camouflage; the objects to be camouflaged, for example vehicles or buildings, often have heat radiation of their own, which is significantly greater than that of the surroundings, and they can therefore be discovered by means of detectors for infrared light, which can be made very sensitive.
The materials which have been developed for the purpose, in order to camouflage against infrared radiation, have utilized effects such as the limited emissions of a metallic layer or capturing in an insulating layer of the heat radiation from the layer itself. Structured surfaces, colored surfaces, layers consisting of lamina or grains, etc, have been resorted to against reflection of incident radiation.